


Slow Grind for a Slowking

by HDXylophone



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Main Video Game Series), Pocket Monsters: Sun & Moon | Pokemon Sun & Moon Versions
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-17
Updated: 2019-01-17
Packaged: 2019-10-11 16:59:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,623
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17450849
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HDXylophone/pseuds/HDXylophone
Summary: This is why trading exists, so you don't have to spend an eternity farming Slowpokes just to get a Slowking to fill the dex. Yes, mistakes were made, as our young protagonist is about to find out.





	Slow Grind for a Slowking

**Author's Note:**

> Well, I've been sitting on this one for the longest, so it's good to finally get it out there. With this, I've just about burned up my story reserve, so I'll have to work on some fresh stories at some point!

The sun was shining, brightly heralding a new day on the highest peak of Poni Island. Before long, a figure stepped out of the wormhole that had taken up permanent residence at the Altar of the Moone. Almost as soon as he touched down on the Altar, he raised his Ride Pager to the air, summoning a Charizard to take him back to the Seafolk Village. As he flew, he thought to himself with a grin on his face, the work of a Champion is never done. 

 

As he walked into the Pokemon Center, he vaguely noted the reactions of the center’s other regular patrons. Of all the Pokemon Centers in Alola, he probably visited this one the most, as it was the only one on Poni Island he could fly directly to, making it a perfect rest spot after one of his frequent visits to Ultra Space. In spite of his regular usage of that Center, the other patrons never failed to turn towards him in admiration whenever he walked in. As he walked into the Center, placing his newly evolved Pokemon in the PC, he thought to himself. It was true, after, all that the awe the townspeople felt was not for nothing. After all, he had finished his island challenge, defeated Ultra Necrozma, become the region’s first Champion and captured each island’s guardian deities, all at the young age of 11. However, he chose to focus less on that, and more on his next goal: completing the Pokedex. 

 

“Rotom!” called the young Champion. At once, his Pokedex, possessed by the Electric/Ghost type Rotom, flew from his backpack in front of him.

 

“Yezz, Master? Bzzt…”

 

“Pull up the Pokedex, Melemele Island specifically.”

 

“Zzrt. Okay! Showing the Melemele Island dex, which is currently above 80% completion!” 

 

Looking at the few Pokemon that had never been caught and had their data registered to the Dex, the boy decided what Pokemon to pursue next. 

 

“Slowking, habitat.”

 

“Zzrt. Slowking can be found as an SOS call from Slowpoke on Kala’e Bay.”

 

“Cool, let’s go. Leaf, Ignis, come with me. We’re going on a field trip.”

 

As the Champion touched down on Melemele Island, right in front of his house, he began to plan the day’s proceedings. After running into his house to greet his mother and using a Ride Stoutland to unearth a plate buried by his mother’s truck, he was ready to go. His Incineroar and Lurantis, the only Pokemon with him, looked expectantly.

 

“We’re going to the Trainer School.”

 

After arriving at the Trainer’s School, the Champion began to confidently stride in, past people he had beaten at the beginning of his journey. Back when Ignis was still a Litten and Leaf hadn’t been caught yet. He made his way to the top of the building, he eventually came to a door blocked by a Black Belt Trainer. He spoke to the Trainer and they acknowledged his skill in completing the island challenge and challenged him to a battle. The young Champion quickly agreed. Most other Trainers would be wary about challenging a strong Fighting type Trainer with a part Dark-Type Pokemon. They might also worry about challenging a strong Trainer with only two Pokemon in their party. However, the young boy battling did not become the Champion by being like most Trainers. He only brought two Pokemon, because he was sure they were all he needed. The two Pokemon with him were among his strongest Pokemon, after all. Ignis, the Incineroar he had raised from a Litten at the very beginning of his journey, and quite possibly the strongest Pokemon in the region. And Leaf, who lacked Ignis’ raw strength but was a very capable fighter in her own right. Ignis’ sheer strength made him useful, but also poor suited to catching wild Pokemon. Leaf’s claim to fame was being able to use False Swipe, a restrained move that does not faint the target. It had made Leaf very valuable, and as a result, she came with her trainer on all Pokedex related expeditions, like this one.

 

Before long, the Lurantis was able to single-handedly defeat the Black Belt’s Pokemon. After losing, he told the young trainer that beyond him was the principal’s office.

 

“Perfect! Just like I thought. Alright guys, the principal here has a King’s Rock, which we can use to evolve Slowpoke into Slowking.”

 

Leaf turned her head to the side, quizzically.

 

“I know, I know. We’re going to catch a Slowking, since it’s easier than trading, but we should get the King’s Rock anyways.”

 

Not long after, King’s Rock in hand after soundly defeating the principal, the Champion made his way to Kala’e Bay. After arriving there, he ran through the grass until a Slowpoke showed up. When at last one did, then he was ready to act.

 

“Leaf, use False Swipe!”

 

Having been brought to just shy of fainting from Leaf’s attack, the Slowpoke did what naturally comes next, calling for help from its brethren. None came to its aid, however.

 

“Alright, can’t say I’m too surprised. Here goes an adrenaline orb!”

 

At this, the Champion took a small blue pellet and threw it at the Slowpoke. These ‘adrenaline’ orbs give off a gas that makes wild Pokemon nervous and more likely to call for help. He had found a few during the course of his journey, but he had to buy some from the Hau’oli Pokemon Center beforehand, since he ran out. Since wild Pokemon only naturally call for help once, adrenaline orbs are useful for changing that fact, allowing for Pokemon to call for several others in one battle, which can have a number of benefits to Trainers.

 

Right now, the Champion was only concerned with getting the Slowpoke to call for a Slowking so he could fill in that Dex entry. And so began a cycle, where the Slowpoke would call for another of its brethren, who would be dispatched by Leaf using Leech Life. Occasionally, the ‘caller’ Slowpoke would be fainted in order to change the caller. This was to ensure that the caller couldn’t run out of moves and faint itself with Struggle. Also, occasionally Leaf had to be fed Leppa berries to recover the uses of Leech Life and False Swipe. Her other moves, Solar Blade and Petal Blizzard, were ill-suited to the task and went unused. For the most part, the attempt followed a basic routine, albeit one that got dull very quickly.

 

“Ugh, how much longer is this gonna take?!”

 

He had stopped counting the fainted Slowpokes ages ago, and the number of Slowpokes he had encountered without sight of his goal was beginning to make him resent the species. Worse than anything was the chance factor of the situation. It could take him one attempt, or one hundred, it was pure luck. 

 

“Ugh, I regret saying this would be easier than trading. I’d take that option in a heartbeat.”

 

Not long after the first break in the Slowpoke fueled monotony appeared in the form of a Slowbro. More annoyed than before, the young Trainer wearily issued a command to his Lurantis.

 

“Leech Life. Sheesh, I’m not sure how to feel about that. On one hand, a Slowbro is about as rare as a Slowking, but it’s not what we’re here for. Leaf, take a break, I’m gonna lie down for a while.”

 

The Lurantis gratefully obeyed her Trainer’s instructions. The Slowpoke and Slowbro stood forgotten on the other end of the field, dopily staring at the duo across from them. By the time either Pokemon had fully registered that they were no longer under attack, the trainer was on his feet again.

 

“Alright, Leech Life again, Leaf!”

 

The Slowbro was defeated, as were 3 more just like it that showed up amid countless Slowpoke. The 5th Slowbro that showed up, however, was the test subject for an experiment. The Slowpoke beside it was fainted and the Slowbro was kept in the hopes that it would call a Slowking. Four turns elapsed before it attempted to call for help once, which failed. The long wait, and the failed call could almost be excused on their own. However, combined with the long length of time that had already been wasted, the Champion was low on patience.

 

“Would you call for help properly, ya dumb thing?! You’d better not Struggle yourself! Sheesh, at this point I wouldn’t be surprised to see a Shiny Slowpoke before a Slowking.”

 

After a long time, the Slowbro called in a Slowpoke. The Slowbro was quickly fainted, and the Champion swore to never do that again. A couple naps later and many, many more Slowpoke as well, a Slowking finally showed up. 

 

“Finally! Dang, I started to lose hope. Well, Leech Life that Slowpoke over there!”

 

After the caller was dispatched, False Swipe was used on the Slowking to make it easier to catch. It went in the ball easily and its data was registered in the Pokedex.

 

“Alright, let’s get a look at you.”

 

A small tap on the Rotom-Dex pulled up the data for that particular Slowking.

 

“Hmm, no Hidden Ability, not Shiny. All in all, didn’t do too well. But, I’m just happy to have this Dex entry and be done with it.”

 

“Now, what to name you? Let’s go with Rolex, since you wasted all my time. Let’s go Leaf. Man, I never want to do SOS chaining again.”

 

The Pokemon got into her Pokeball, grateful that the ordeal was over. As the Champion placed her and Rolex’s balls back on his belt and called for a Ride Charizard to return them to the Hau’oli Pokemon Center, he dreaded the possibility of the remaining Dex entries being as time-consuming as this.


End file.
